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Monsoon

Premature to attribute extreme heatwave in India, Pak solely to climate change: WMO

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 After multiple scientists claimed that the current spell of heatwaves in India and Pakistan are due to climate change, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said it would be premature to attribute it solely to climate change.

The WMO also appreciated warning systems and heat action plans that helped save lives.

In a statement issued on Friday night, the WMO said: “It is premature to attribute the extreme heat in India and Pakistan solely to climate change. However, it is consistent with what we expect in a changing climate. Heatwaves are more frequent and more intense and now start earlier than it did in the past.

“India, especially the northwest, has been witnessing a third heatwave since March with the current, third spell sending mercury soaring to more than 45 degrees Celsius across dozens of states of India, including the northwestern Himalayan states too.

“Similar temperatures have been seen in Pakistan. The Pakistan Meteorological Department said that daytime temperatures are likely to be between 5 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius above normal in large swathes of the country.

The agency warned that in the mountainous regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkwa, the unusual heat would enhance the melting of snow and ice and might trigger glacial lake outburst floods or flash floods in vulnerable areas,

“Air quality has deteriorated, and large swathes of land are at risk of extreme fire danger.”

India recorded its warmest March on record while Pakistan recorded its highest March temperature in the past 60 years, with a number of stations breaking March records, the WMO said.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) has said that heat waves and humid heat stress will be more intense and frequent in South Asia in this century.

The WMO, endorsing India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences’ publication on climate change in India that has a whole chapter on temperature change, said: “The frequency of warm extremes over India has increased during 1951-2015, with accelerated warming trends during the recent 30 year period 1986-2015. Significant warming is observed for the warmest day, warmest night and coldest night since 1986.”

Through its statement, the WMO also reminded the need for a multi-hazard early warning system that it has promised to ensure for all in the next five years.

“Heatwaves have multiple and cascading impacts not just on human health, but also on ecosystems, agriculture, water and energy supplies and key sectors of the economy. The risks to society underline why the WMO is committed to ensuring that multi-hazard early warning services reach the most vulnerable,” it said.

Stating that both India and Pakistan have successful heat-health early warning systems and action plans, including those specially tailored for urban areas, the WMO said: “Heat Action Plans reduce heat mortality and lessen the social impacts of extreme heat, including lost work productivity. Important lessons have been learnt from the past and these are now being shared among all partners of the WMO co-sponsored Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) to enhance capacity in the hard hit region.

“The South Asia Heat Health Information Network, supported by GHHIN, is working to share lessons and raise capacity across the South Asia region.”

Maharashtra

Mumbai Rains Latest Update: Trains Run Late, Andheri Subway Closed As Heavy Showers Lash City And Suburbs.

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Heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai on Thursday (July 25). Trains were running late on Central, Western and harbour lines of Mumbai locals. However, by 9 am at least, there was no stoppage of services. Mumbaikars venturing out or even going to office may need to take a rain check as it continued to rain heavily through the morning.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that Mumbai city and suburbs will witness moderate to heavy rainfall and even very rainfall at isolated places. The department has said that winds of 50-60 kmph are very likely. The city and suburbs are unlikely to get a respite later as heavy rains are expected in next 48 hours. On Thursday, the temperatures are likely to be in the range of 24 degrees Celsius to 29 degrees Celsius.

Andheri Subway has been closed for traffic.

Mumbai rains: When is the high tide?

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported that in 24 hours preceding 8 am on Thursday, the city witnessed 44 mm rainfall while eastern and western suburbs had rainfall of 90 and 89 mm respectively. The high tide is expected at 2:51 pm (4.64 metres).

Mulund received more than 200 mm of rain in last 24 hours, said BMC.

Western Railway has said from its official X handle that all trains are running normally.

Central Railway did not make any official announcement from its X handle early in the morning.

Although the railways were saying that trains were running normally, social media chatter and conversations on popular train schedule apps suggested that not everything was well.

Several social media handle that track rains in Mumbai are predicting continuation of heavy rains.

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Monsoon

India Weather Update For July 17: Heavy Rainfall To Continue In Several States, Red Alert Issued In Kerala

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Heavy rainfall is expected to continue in several parts of India, however the July 17 spotlight is on Kerala. The district administrations of eight districts in Kerala including – Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Palakkad, Thrissur, Idukki, Alappuzha, and Kottayam- have ordered the closure of educational institutions in their respective districts on Wednesday, July 17. The weather department has warned fishermen against going fishing on the Kerala-Karnataka-Lakshadweep coasts. 

Meanwhile, IMD has issued an Orange alert in- Saurashtra, Kutch, Gujarat, East Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Karnataka, Puducherry, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Maharashtra, Konkan Goa, Uttarakhand on July 17. IMD has issued yellow alert in Vidarbha region, Telangana, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on July 17.

IMD said Moderate flash flood risk likely over few watersheds & neighbourhoods of southern parts of Saurashtra & Kutch, Konkan & Goa adjoining Madhya Maharashtra, Coastal Karnataka adjoining SI Karnataka and Kerala & Mahe adjoining extreme north western parts (Nilgiri & Coimbatore districts) of Tamil Nadu – Pudu & Karaikal Met Sub-divisions during next 24 hours.

Surface runoff or inundation may occur at some fully saturated soils & low-lying areas over AoC as shown in map due to expected rainfall occurrence in next 24 hours.

IMD forecast for rainfall in India in the month of July 2014

Monthly rainfall over the country as a whole during July 2024 is most likely to be above normal (>106 % of LPA). During July, normal to above normal rainfall is most likely over most parts of the country except many parts of northeast India and some parts of northwest, east and southeast peninsular India where below normal rainfall is likely.

Import points to keep in mind in areas where heavy rainfall is expected

1) Localized Flooding of roads, water logging in low lying areas and closure of underpasses mainly in urban areas of the above region.

2) Occasional reduction in visibility due to heavy rainfall.

3) Disruption of traffic in major cities due to water logging in roads leading to increased travel time.

4) Minor damage to kutcha roads.

5) Possibilities of damage to vulnerable structure.

6) Localized Landslides/Mudslides/landslips/mud slips/land sinks/mud sinks.

7) Damage to horticulture and standing crops in some areas due to inundation.

8) It may lead to riverine flooding in some river catchments (for riverine flooding please visit Web page of CWC)

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Weather Update: IMD Issues Orange Alert; City To Experience Heavy Rain For Next 24 Hours

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Mumbai: A potent monsoon warning has been sounded for Mumbai and eight other districts in Maharashtra, as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an Orange alert for the region. The warning comes as heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to batter the area over the next 24 hours, with isolated areas likely to experience extremely heavy downpours.

The nine districts under Orange alert are Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Kolhapur, and Satara. For the next 24 hours, residents can expect moderate to heavy rainfall in the city and suburbs, with a possibility of very heavy rainfall at isolated locations. Maximum temperatures are expected to hover around 29°C, while minimum temperatures will remain relatively cool at around 24°C.

For the next 48 hours, the IMD predicts heavy rainfall in the city and suburbs, with a high probability of very heavy rainfall at isolated places. Temperatures will remain steady at around 29°C during the day and 24°C at night.

Mumbai experienced heavy rains on Friday morning, leading to waterlogging in several areas including APMC Market, Turbhe Mafco, Navi Mumbai, and King’s Circle, Sion. Residents are advised to prepare for a prolonged wet spell over the next few days, as a yellow alert has been issued from July 13 to July 15.

Rainfall data collected over Maharashtra from 08:30 IST to 17:30 IST today reveals substantial precipitation across various districts. Ratnagiri district emerged as the top performer, with Ratnagiri station recording an impressive 113.2 mm of rainfall and Harnai station receiving 36.8 mm. Raigad also saw significant rainfall, with Alibag clocking 22.8 mm and Matheran receiving 67 mm.

Mumbai’s Santacruz and Colaba stations recorded respective rainfall amounts of 7.7 mm and 9.6 mm, while Vikhroli in the Mumbai suburbs registered 16.5 mm and Bandra received 15 mm. Thane’s TBIA observed 13.2 mm of rainfall. Other notable mentions include Mahabaleshwar in Satara with 94.8 mm, Dahanu in Palghar with 17.7 mm, and Poladpur in Raigad with 84 mm. Several stations in Sindhudurg also reported significant rainfall, including Awalegaon with 93 mm and Vaibhavwadi with 66 mm.

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